I didn't expect to have as many reviews as I got when I posted this lmao. But, thank you very much! I had no idea you guys would like what I wrote. I already have a faint idea of where I want this to go, but it's not concrete yet. Bare with me, gays.
Chapter 2
Physically, and mentally exhausted, Callie made her way to the elevator. She still couldn't believe that Arizona Robbins was actually here. In her place of work. Arizona. Robbins. It was strange to see her again in person, like seeing a stranger. A stranger she knew too well, but a stranger, nonetheless. Callie knew she had two directions she could go to here; express her unsaid feelings, or throw them under the rug like what she'd been doing all these years. She supposed the latter is better. It's been too long anyways, and they have both obviously moved forward. They could be friends again, or acquaintances, or just co-workers. She's going to see so much of the other woman from now on, possibly even every day. Callie couldn't wrap her head around that fact.
Callie was scrambling through her bag, looking for her phone, she's been itching to talk to someone since noon that day. She's also been itching to punch that someone in the stomach.
Mark saw her walking towards the elevator and immediately ran up to her, "Hey, Cal! We're heading to Joe's, you coming?" He really wanted her to come. He's intrigued about the new doctor that apparently his best friend went to high school with, and well, he's a natural gossip.
"Uhh… I don't think so, Mark. I'm exhausted, maybe next time." Callie responded, she knew a certain someone was going to be there, and she just didn't have the energy for another interaction yet.
Mark frowned, this hardly ever happened, Callie always loved to drink. Now he's more intrigued to know why she's acting kind of strange. Is it because of Erica? Callie's ex-witch-gf who just ghosted her? But she doesn't really seem that bothered about that. Hmm. Is it the new hot doctor? Mark figured maybe Callie was just really tired. Since she'd been working her ass off lately.
"You sure?"
"As sure as I can be Mark. I'm really exhausted I just want to sleep." She wasn't that sleepy, but Callie was already losing the energy to continue this conversation so she pressed the button on the elevator without looking back up at her friend.
"Okay, well. If you change your mind, you know where to find us!" Mark finished with a wave.
Finally, alone in her apartment – her roommate probably drinking with their other friends in Joe's, or still at work or whatever – she turned on her phone and looked for a contact she hasn't talked to for more than a few weeks.
You asshole.
Pressing send, she threw the phone to the bed and went to the bathroom, needing a long shower after a tiring day at work. She could deal with him later, after she's relaxed for even just a little bit.
Seeing her old acquaintance brought back so many memories to the front of her mind. Memories she tried so hard to put into a little box, never to be opened again. But you never really know what the future holds, because surprise-surprise, the old little box is once again right in front of her eyes.
After changing into comfortable night clothes, Callie sat in front of her television with a leftover pizza for dinner. She saw her phone light up with a notification.
Brobbin:
What? What? What did I do?
Rolling her eyes, Callie immediately typed up a reply.
Callie:
Nothing. That's what you did.
Brobbin:
YOURE the asshole then.
Callie:
I'm gonna call.
Callie didn't even wait for the other person's reply before she pressed the call button. A few rings and she heard the unmistakable voice of her jerk friend.
"Tim, what the hell!," Callie shouted with an irritated voice over the phone.
"I literally didn't hear from you in weeks and this is how you greet me, yes, Callie, I missed you too," Tim Robbins replied with monotonous voice. He already had an inkling feeling of what this call is about, but he didn't want to spoil it and preferred if Callie mentioned it first.
"Oh, shut up. Why didn't you tell me your sister was coming here? In Seattle? And in MY hospital, of all places?!"
The man on the other line paused for a second, thinking of what the perfect response as to not rile Callie up more. "Oooooohh, so THAT'S what you're mad about, huh?" He could almost hear Callie make faces on her phone.
"Did I not mention that? I'm pretty sure I mentioned that to give you a head's up." He did not. But she doesn't have to know that.
"What the hell, Tim? You did NOT mention that at all!"
"Why are you so mad? Aren't you excited to see her? It can be like high school again, you know." He sai, trying to calm her down. He knew his sister was coming to Seattle, but he actually didn't know that she's be working in Seattle Grace.
"No offense, but no fucking way. I'm not excited to see because that ran out a very long time ago." She was not sure if that last remark was true. But he didn't have to know that.
"You are being too dramatic about this. I'm pretty sure she didn't even know that you work there. Did you guys even exchange a word?" He was actually curious how this was all going to play out. Having been friends with Callie for a long time, and Arizona being his – well, his sister.
"Am I? Am I? Tim, I haven't seen her in a decade. She never tried to talk to me, and now I'm about to see her all the time. I'm kind of freaking out here."
"But, why? Why are you freaking out, Callie? I thought Calliope Torres never let herself be affected by women these days?"
"Don't call me that. You make my name sound uglier." Callie was getting frustrated, she just wanted… answers? "You know why! But…" she groaned.
"But? But? But what? Nothing! I think you guys should talk. It's long overdue." He said, with sincerity in his voice.
"Are you crazy? Hell no, that's going to be so awkward!"
"I sometimes forget you're older than me."
"You know what? I think I'll just avoid her for as long as I can. If we ever had a case together, then that's just gonna be it. No conversation's gonna lead to anything personal. I'll be professional and just avoid her which won't be that hard since I'm always in my lab these days." She said feeling proud of herself for coming up with a solution.
"There's no sense in giving you a mature solution, but I guess you deserve that. Also, I'm tired and sleepy, so if you could update me for the next few days, that'll be awesome."
"Fine. You didn't help at all. Bye!"
That's exactly what Callie did. She's been successfully avoiding running into her old friend for four days now. It hasn't been hard, actually. All she had to do was throw herself into her research, perform textbook surgeries, and check on her patients during rounds. Fortunately, Callie hasn't had a pediatric case since the new doctor arrived. Phew.
She's a grown adult. This is what she's been reminding herself for the past few days. Still, she cannot help but fall into the loving arms of avoidance.
Well, if the other woman managed to do it for YEARS. Then, she can too. The only difference this time is that they're actually in the same place, not even just the same state, which would be easier for Callie, but in the same workplace.
Despite all the avoiding and hiding she was doing, though, she has been thinking a little bit of how she's going to react when the inevitable moment comes.
An elevator, empty, except for the two of them.
Nobody knows how it happens but the elevators of the hospital just, somehow, always always manage to put people with issues inside the same tiny space. Where they have to stand closely, awkwardly, with just their loud breathing and the beeping sound of the elevator. Sometimes when the other person can't read a room, they'd try to break a silence with a sad attempt for small talk, which just makes things more unbearable. And if you're really really unlucky you'd even end up with e broken elevator, extending your torture, not knowing when's it going to end so you just stand there.
Callie knows this situation too well. What with the amount of people she has slept with in the hospital.
So, while she hasn't come up with the best hypothetical scenario, she's using the stairs. Fucking stairs. Actually, she's fucked someone here before, but that's beside the point.
Keep your head high, this is YOUR hospital. Callie thought as she marched towards the coffee cart on a Thursday morning, where she found her roommate standing with a mouthful of some sort of bread.
"What's up with you?" Cristina practically yelled at her.
"Nothing. What's up with you?" she countered. As she ordered her 2nd cup of coffee for the day.
Cristina just shrugged her shoulders and said, "Eh."
"You know, you should really learn how to not be a loud pornstar. Seriously, I could barely sleep last night." It was true. Callie woke up three separate times during the night because of how loud her roommate was. Though, she has a faint idea that Cristina's not even that attracted to him.
"Just because you're not getting any doesn't mean I have too as well." Followed by a snort from a dirty blonde who suddenly appeared beside them.
"She's right, Callie." Teddy said, while trying to catch up with the two.
"Oh hey, Teddy." She greets, while Cristina hands her the same coffee she's been drinking.
"Why do you guys even know so much about my sex life?" Cristina and Teddy just looked at each other and shrugged.
"Which is wrong, by the way? I am, in fact, getting some," she isn't. "Don't you know who I am? I'm Callie fucking Torres! That's right, with emphasis on fucking."
"Jesus, you sound so pathetic." Cristina said as they rounded a corner leading to one of the elevators.
"She's right, Callie. You sound so, tense. Loosen up a bit." Teddy agreed with Cristina, like always.
"Uh, I guess I'm just in too deep with my research these days." Callie finally gave them a bit of truth. As they enter the elevator. Which didn't have any more passenger except for the three of them. Thank God.
"Yeah, I thought so. I feel like I haven't seen you in days. You've been skipping out on us. Even for drinks! Come on, eat lunch with us later." Teddy tried to convince, but Callie already has a plan set up in her mind.
"You've been missing since that Peds chick arrived here. Didn't you know her or something?" Thankfully, the doors shot open on Callie's floor just as Cristina was finishing her sentence.
"Well, this is me. I guess, I'll see you guys later. Or not." Callie said as she stepped out of the elevator.
"Please get laid!" Cristina yelled at her before the doors closed again.
She did not even try to convince herself that her friends are right, and that she should go have lunch with them again. And that that is the much healthier option than hiding in her lab or office with a tray of food she's going to force an intern to get for her. But, oh well, better that instead of yet another awkward interaction. So, she'd just stay with avoiding, until she's ready to see her old friend again.
Thank you for staying til the end of this chapter!
Okay, I'm so sorry for the long wait. And I'm sorry if this is not satisfying. But again, I'm not a writer, I just miss Calzona. This is the best I can come up with on a random 2am, so please bare with me. I promise they will have interactions in the next chapter. I thought fic authors were tripping, but reviews really do help!
p.s. why did so many g!p stories from around 2020 suddenly got deleted? Kinda made me sad. They were fun to read.
